Moretti:
Hank’s coming. But he doesn’t know and I want to keep it that way.
That line settles heavier than the rest.
Moretti:
I just want him there as Hank being away from family this time of year. No added stress. No circus.
Moretti:
We show up. We eat. We look solid. Some of it will end up online later, but we control it.
A beat.
Then replies stack up.
Koa:
I’m in. No question.
Dash:
Obviously, yes. Also, I will distract Hank.
Faulker:
Count me in.
I stare at the screen longer than necessary.
PR choreography. Optics. Lawyers circling. Sofie Fairfax is building a narrative brick by brick. And Moretti, asking for Brooklyn to close ranks, because he needs the ground to be steady.
That part I understand.
I type once.
Me
Yeah. I’ll be there.
The reply comes almost immediately.
Moretti
Thanks. means more than you know.
I lock my phone and stand.
Thanksgiving at The Bridgeview. Carefully curated for what I assume is Claudia’s little one, Savannah, and usually content for the outside world. Absolute loyalty inside the walls.
It’s complicated, strategic, personal, for the kid. Which means I’m in.
But seriously? Sofie Fairfax? That’s some bullshit.
Chapter 5
Parades
